Anwar reveals he rejected offer to return as IIUM president

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR president-elect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim revealed that he had rejected an offer to hold the post of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) president.

He said he did not want to hold any posts, at the moment as he wanted to help strengthen the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government under the leadership of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"Now I have no position. There was only a suggestion for me to be made IIUM president and even that I did not want. This is because I want to support the government under Dr Mahathir so that it becomes strong with support from the rakyat.

"I do not want any problems, let the new government be administered well so we can improve the economy and take care of the rakyat.

"When it is my turn, I will take over," he said in a speech at PH's Seri Setia by-election campaign trail in Ara Damansara, here, tonight.

For the record, Anwar was IIUM president from 1988 to 1988 when he was still with Umno.

On Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik's appointment as IIUM president, Anwar stressed that the cabinet should be allowed to discuss the matter.

"Let the cabinet discuss it," he said, not wanting to elaborate further.